The present invention relates generally to the field of portable vacuum cleaning machines and to wet/dry vacuuming and wet extraction cleaning machines. The particular invention is a vacuum cleaning system in which two of three units of a portable self-contained wet extraction vacuum cleaning machine are separable into a separate wet/dry vacuum cleaning machine.
As used here, "dry vacuuming" involves the application of vacuum suction by an applicator tool to lift dirt and debris from a surface for transfer in a vacuum hose to a temporary storage container.
"Wet vacuuming" also involves the use of vacuum pick up, but in a system which has sufficient suction lift capability and water tight construction to lift and transfer the liquid and debris, typically to a temporary storage tank.
"Hydro-extraction" or "wet" extracting involves the application of a high pressure stream or jet of liquid such as an aqueous emulsifying solution to a surface and simultaneously or subsequently applying a wet vacuuming operation to pick up and transfer the debris and spent cleaning solution to a temporary storage tank. State-of-the-art machines mount the cleaning liquid nozzle on the vacuum pick-up head and the same applicator tool to facilitate the wet extraction operation.
Various portable and central vacuum cleaning machines exist which will perform one or more vacuum cleaning functions such as those defined above. For example, the ACS Model 831 built-in System and the ACS Model 431 self-contained System which are available from the Automated Cleaning Systems Division of Rug Doctor, Inc. of Fresno, California perform a number of cleaning functions, including wet and dry vacuuming, wet cleaning, wet extraction and hot/cold pressure washing. In addition, the R-150 and VH-175 vacuum cleaning machines available from the same source are self-contained, portable vacuum cleaning machines that are capable of wet and dry vacuuming and wet extraction.
Portable vacuum cleaning machines have also been designed having components that are interchangeable or selectively used. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,818, issued Nov. 7, 1978 to Hurwitz, discloses a vacuum cleaning system which has an add-on annular cleaning solution tank. U.S. Pat. No. 3,079,626, issued Mar. 5, 1963 to Yonkers, discloses a combination vacuum cleaning machine which includes a vacuum motor unit, and a vacuum cleaning unit which is interchangeable with a floor scrubbing unit.
Frohbieter, U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,377, issued July 10, 1984, shows a vacuum cleaning system having a housing with an upper nozzle that is adapted to receive a suction fan. The suction fan may be removed from the housing and attached to a separate dry vacuum canister or to a separate wet/dry vacuum canister.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,636, issued Sept. 8, 1981 to Brazier, discloses a system that can be used as a wet extractor or as a dry vacuum machine by the interchangeable use of a wet reservoir unit or a simple connector unit. These units are mounted between the tank and the vacuum head.
U.S. Pat. No., 4,226,000, issued Oct. 7, 1980 to Tribolet, discloses a wet/dry vacuum system in which a water recovery tank is connected in tandem with a vacuum canister. Alternatively, the recovery tank can be mounted on the canister. A stationary cleaning solution tank is connected to a source of tap water to supply cleaning solution to a hand-held cleaning tool. The vacuum generated by the vacuum canister and the recovery tank pick up the spent cleaning solution via the hand tool and transfer the spent solution to the recovery tank.
Thus, while vacuum systems employing interchangeable parts are known and while Tribolet discloses tandem and piggy-back versions of a portable wet extraction machine, to date, to my knowledge no one has developed a portable modular system of replaceable components that can be selectively combined to provide different, self-contained fully portable vacuum cleaning machines.